Chinese Party Congress Over the Years

Nov. 7, 2012 10:21 p.m. ET

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Chinese Communist Party leaders, including Deng Xiaoping, center, stood at the closing of the 13th Communist Party Congress in Beijing on Nov. 1, 1987.
Neal Ulevich/Associated Press…

Zhao Ziyang, right, prime minister and general secretary of the Communist Party, greeted journalists who covered the congress at the People's Great Hall in Beijing on Nov. 2, 1987.
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Jiang Zemin, general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, delivered his report during the opening of the 14th party congress in Beijing on Oct. 12, 1992.
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Workers made adjustments to the Chinese signs at Beijing's Tiananmen Square ahead of the 15th party congress on Sept. 1, 1997.
Greg Baker/Associated Press…

Opening session of the 15th party congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sept. 12, 1997.
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Qiao Shi, chairman of the National People's Congress, left, and Jiang Zemin, Chinese president, voted during the closing session of the 15th party congress on Sept. 18, 1997.
Greg Baker/Associated Press…

Mr. Jiang, left, introduced other members of the party's new Politburo Standing Committee, including, from left to right, Li Peng, Zhu Rongji, Li Ruihuan, Hu Jintao, Wei Jianxing and Li Lanqing, to the media in Beijing on Sept. 19, 1997.
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A man carried a board reading 'Welcome the 16th Party Congress' at the Tiananmen Square during a marathon in Beijing on Oct. 20, 2002.
Ng Han Guan/Associated Press…

Communist party members clapped as Chinese President Jiang Zemin, center, entered the Great Hall of the People for the opening session of the 16th party congress on Nov. 8, 2002.
Ng Han Guan/Associated Press…

China's top leaders, from left to right, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, Chinese President Jiang Zemin and National People's Congress Chairman Li Peng stood up during the opening session of the congress on Nov. 8, 2002.
Greg Baker/Associated Press…

Mr. Hu, who took over as the party's general secretary, left, waved as the new members of the Politburo Standing Committee, from left to right, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong, Huang Ju, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan, applauded on Nov. 15, 2002.
Ng Han Guan/Associated Press…

The ballot box used during 17th party congress was seen at the Great Hall of the People on Oct. 21, 2007.
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Mr. Hu, left, shook hands with former president and Communist Party leader Jiang Zemin after Mr. Hu's speech at the opening of the congress on Oct. 15, 2007.
Greg Baker/Associated Press…

China's top leadership including Xi Jinping, the Shanghai party chief, second from bottom right, and Li Keqiang, the Liaoning party chief, top right, raised their hands to approve resolutions during the closing ceremony for the congress on Oct. 21, 2007.
Ng Han Guan/Associated Press…